


I Promise.

by cheriiato



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Catra (She-Ra) Leaves the Horde, F/F, Minor Adora/Catra (She-Ra), This Is STUPID
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-18 19:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20196613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheriiato/pseuds/cheriiato
Summary: [Set Post Season Three]Catra joins the rebellion, but fears that it's too late for her to fix the damage she's already caused.





	I Promise.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi this is set some time after season three, there will be spoilers! It's really just a slight mention, but it's prominent enough to be a proper spoiler sooo...  
P.S. I cried while writing this lol.

Adora brushed her hand over the girl next to her. She moved up her arm, a soft smile resting on her face. It had been a long way to get here, to have her back on her side. While she wasn't quite convinced she was better, she was trying to be, and that was so much more than Adora had ever dared to hope for.

She took the time to admire her glowing skin in the bright sun that shone through her window. Her dark hair fell over her face and her ears twitched from time to time, and Adora couldn't help but find it endearing.

She ran her hair through the girl's hair, flipping it out of her face. Her breath hitched when she saw her face, lips slightly parted and eyebrows relaxed.

"Hey Catra," she mumbled, just loud enough to be heard.

She continued to run her hands through her hair, breath shuddering in the cool morning air. She took a few deep breaths, letting it all sink in.

Catra was here. Catra wanted to get better, for herself. She wanted to grow out of her bad habits and she wanted to be better.

Adora let out a small noise, halfway between a laugh and a sob.

She had Catra back. Finally.

She felt tears falling sideways down her face, but couldn't be bothered to care. Of course she was going to cry, she had her best friend back, after so long fighting. She ran her hands over Catra's face, connected her freckles and traced her eyebrows. She couldn't believe this was all real.

She noticed briefly that, in her haze, she had definitely moved closer than she had been. She didn't pay much attention to that fact, though. Her brain was all over the place and all she could think clearly was that she was just so happy.

She wiped the tears off her cheeks and let herself relax for a moment. She needed to wake Catra, Glimmer would definitely insist on interrogating her. She and her mom had always been hesitant to trust people, though she supposed that's how it had to be in war.

She moved her face forward hesitantly, her eyes flitted to Catra's lips and an idea passed through her mind.

She continued to inch forward, admiring Catra's features as if it were the last time she'd ever get to. She stopped centimetres from her lips, letting out a small sigh and rubbing her cheek once more before deciding against it.

This wasn't the same Catra. She didn't know how she'd react, if she even wanted to join them to begin with.

She dropped her head and closed her eyes for a moment, ready to shake Catra awake, before feeling a hand clamp around her arm.

She flinched out of panic, eyes flying open only to be met with a glowing blue and a dull yellow.

"Well, if you aren't going to do it," she started, her voice was scratchy from having just woken up. She ran her hand up Adora's arm, cupping it around her neck and playing with her hair. "--then I will."

Adora felt herself being pulled in, her lips meeting Catra's. She felt arms wrap around her back and melted into the touch. Her hands found their way to Catra's face, and she cupped one around her cheek, the other falling into place behind her neck.

It was only brief, they both pulled away slowly almost as soon as it had happened, but Adora could still feel the ghost of Catra's lips meeting hers.

"You just-- you kissed me…" She held a hand up to her lips, eyes widening in disbelief.

"Yeah well, you clearly weren't going to do it," Catra mumbled, propping herself up on her elbow.

"I thought I had lost you."

"I thought I… I thought I ruined everything. I did ruin everything, Adora," she choked out, trying to stop her tears. "But I want to try my best to fix what I did, if I even can."

"Catra, you messed up. Big time."

She bit her lip and nodded, forcing herself to meet Adora's eyes.

"I know." She took a deep breath. "I know that now. And Adora, I am so, so sorry. I know that what I did can't really be forgiven and I know you probably don't trust me right now. It's just, I just wish I had some way to undo everything I messed up." Her tail swayed nervously, and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut.

Adora shook her head. "You forget we grew up together. You couldn't lie to me if you wanted to. I believe you, when you say you want to fix it all. But you need to give everyone time. Especially Glimmer, she's really messed up since the portal incedent..." She looked off to the side, tears rimming her eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised if she never fully trusts you."

Catra nodded again.

"I just wanted to fix everything, I thought if I opened the portal and pretended everything was normal that, that we could be happy. Adora I'm sorry, I know I messed up." She choked over her words and let out a few sobs, not bothering to try to stop it anymore. A look of fear took over her face and her watering eyes widened. "Can I even get better anymore?"

"Catra," she mumbled, a finger tracing her jaw. "Listen to me. You can get better, okay? Shadow Weaver did it, you know? And, and she was the one who did all this to us in the first place."

"Shadow Weaver was good before though! I don't know how to be a good person Adora," she sobbed. "I don't know how to stop hurting people. I don't want to hurt people anymore." Her voice broke off into a whisper at the end of her sentence, and her face paled. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and drew her knees to her chest.

"You don't have to."

Catra sat in silence for a while, her ragged breathing the only audible thing to either of them. Eventually she uncurled herself and spoke up again.

"How?"

Adora's eyes shone and she smiled. "I mean, I learned, didn't I? And we grew up in the same place. Now come on, the queen is going to want an interrogation. Don't worry though, Glimmer's a softie when you get to know her."

"Yeah, probably not to her prisoners though."

Adora shook her head and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I won't let her hurt you, we're all just going to talk. Just tell the truth. You'll be okay, alright? You're strong." She squeezed her shoulder for emphasis, making sure not to lose eye contact.

"I already hurt her. I don't want to hurt her again, Adora. I can't control myself."

"Catra, you won't hurt her. You won't have to hurt anyone again," she stood up and held out her hand. "We'll help you."

Catra looked at her hand and reached out, but she hesitated to grab it. She looked up at Adora's eyes, her own wide and her eyebrows raised in fear.

"You promise?"

Adora nodded, holding her gaze strong. "I promise."

**Author's Note:**

> If I get one person trying to tell me that this ship is abusive and irredeemable, I will kick something.  
Yes, in canon, at the end of season three, Catra is unstable and it'd be toxic for her to be with anyone at that moment. I'm not glorifying her behaviour or saying that she should get with Adora right this moment. It would be toxic with everything as it is at the moment.  
HOWEVER; Noelle has stated many times that Catra WILL get some kind of an arc and that Catra and Adora's development is the main plot point. I choose to believe Catra is going to join the rebellion after she realises what she's done. This is my interpretation of after Catra realizing her wrong doings/her trying to become better, with Adora trying to help her and understand. :)
> 
> In happier news, who wants to see a VLD YouTuber AU because I have an entire plot planned out for that.


End file.
